1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coin hopper that sorts and discharges coins one by one, the coins being held in bulk in a holding bowl. Specifically, the present invention relates to a coin hopper capable of sorting and discharging coins one by one, the coins having different diameters and being held in bulk in a holding bowl. More specifically, the present invention relates to a coin hopper capable of surely feeding out, one by one, coins having different diameters. Coins herein include currencies, medals and tokens for game machines, and the like.
2. Description of Related Art
As a first conventional technology, a coin hopper is known capable of sorting and discharging coins one by one, the coins having different diameters and being held in bulk in a holding bowl. In the coin hopper, a circular supporting rack is provided that projects from a central region of an upper surface of a rotating disk provided obliquely upward; coin stoppers are provided radially from the supporting rack side and slidably relative to the rotating disk surface; and a coin receiving knife is provided at a predetermined location. Coins, which are supported by the supporting rack and pushed by the coin stoppers, are received by the receiving knife toward a circumference of the rotating disk. After receiving the coins, the receiving knife pushes the coin stoppers into the rotating disk for retraction (Refer to Patent Document 1).
As a second conventional technology, a coin hopper is known in which coins are pushed one by one by coin stoppers, while a periphery of a coin is contacted with a circular supporting rack and a surface of the coin is contacted with a holding surface in a location between the coin stoppers; the coin stoppers being provided on an upper surface of a rotating disk and extending radially from the supporting rack side in a circumferential direction at an equal interval; the circular supporting rack being provided in a central region of the upper surface of the rotating disk provided obliquely upward at a predetermined angle, and projecting for an amount equal to or less than a thickness of one coin; the holding surface being the upper surface of the rotating disk. While being pushed, the coins are received from the coin stoppers by a coin receiver, which extends from a vicinity of the supporting rack in the circumferential direction of the rotating disk. A planar wiper is provided to drop coins which are moved forward while overlapping, the planar wiper being provided opposite to the upper surface of the rotating disk, at a distance of a thickness of one coin or more and two coins or fewer (Refer to Patent Document 2).
In a third conventional technology, coins are pushed in a predetermined direction by a projection provided on an upper surface of an oblique disk while a periphery of a coin is contacted with a boundary peripheral portion, which is provided in a central region of the oblique disk and projects for an amount equal to or less than a thickness of a coin. While being moved, the coins are dropped by a thickness regulating lever so that one coin is fed to a next process. The thickness regulating lever is swingably pivoted on a supporting shaft and provided relative to the oblique disk at an interval of a thickness of one coin or more and two coins or fewer (Refer to Patent Document 3).
[Patent Document 1] Specification of European Patent Application Publication No. 0957456 (FIGS. 1 to 7; Pages 2 to 4)
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. S59-32836 (FIGS. 3 and 9; Page 6)
[Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2003-187288 (FIG. 1; Page 6)
In the first conventional technology, the coin stoppers, which are provided as eight pieces of planar bodies, for example, are provided radially at an equal interval and extend to the periphery of the rotating disk. The coin stoppers are elastically biased so as to project from the rotating disk surface. After the coin stoppers transfer coins to the receiving knife, which has an even thickness substantially identical to the thickness of coins, the coin stoppers are pushed into the rotating disk by the receiving knife for retraction. The coin hopper is capable of discharging coins which are supported by the supporting rack at the periphery and are held between the coin stoppers, thereby capable of discharging coins having diameters within a predetermined range. In addition, the coin stoppers, which extend to the periphery of the rotating disk, allow coins to spring out after passing an inclined portion of the receiving knife and in substantially a horizontal portion. Thus, the coin hopper can be set to discharge coins in a lateral direction. Further, the receiving knife, which has an even thickness substantially identical to the thickness of coins, stabilizes the position of coins being guided, and thus prevents the coins from inadvertently dropping down. When two coins overlap, the coins start sliding on the rotating disk due to gravity at substantially a one o'clock position of a clock. Then, a lower periphery of a lower coin is supported by the supporting rack, but a lower periphery of an upper coin is not supported thereby. Thus, the upper coin free-falls due to gravity, and one coin is separated and fed out. The coin hopper may feed two coins when a rotation speed of the rotating disk is increased in order to increase a discharge count of coins per predetermined time. The event occurs because the increased rotation speed of the rotating disk increases a centrifugal force exerted on coins, which are then supported by the supporting rack at substantially a 12 o'clock position when dropping due to own weight. Then, the overlapping coins are received by the receiving knife having a thickness of one coin or greater while two coins overlap.
In order to prevent two coins from being fed out, it is considered to combine the wiper of the second conventional technology or the thickness regulating lever of the third conventional technology with the first conventional technology. When the second conventional technology is combined, it is considered that the wiper is provided in a location opposite to the upper surface of the rotating disk at a distance of a maximum coin thickness or greater and twice a minimum coin thickness or less. In this case, the wiper is provided on a rotation path of the coin stoppers. In order to avoid interference with the wiper, the coin stoppers cannot be extended to the periphery of the rotating disk, since the coin stoppers are formed slightly higher than the maximum coin thickness even when being formed low so as to prevent the thickest coin from escaping. Conversely, when the coin stoppers are formed low so as to pass below the wiper, the coin stoppers and the wiper may interfere, in a case such as where the wiper is bent when a coin is placed thereon. When the coin stoppers are not extended to the periphery of the rotating disk, coins are discharged in an obliquely upper direction since the coins are sprung out from the inclined portion of the receiving knife. Thus, the coin hopper has a limitation in installation in game machines, and thus cannot be applied immediately.
When the third conventional technology is combined, it is necessary to avoid interference between the coin stoppers and the thickness regulating lever, since the diameter regulating lever is provided on a moving path of the coin stoppers. Specifically, when the coin stopper contacts the regulating lever, the coin stopper is pushed by the regulating lever and retracted into the rotating disk, whereas when the coin stopper does not contact the regulating lever, the coin stopper projects on the upper surface of the rotating disk. In a rare case, a customer may insert a stick or the like along with coins into a coin insertion slot. When the coin stoppers are movably provided as described above, the inserted stick may be caught in a projection/retraction hole of the coin stopper, which thus is unable to move as being held in a retracted position. When the coin stopper is continuously held in the retracted position, the coin stopper cannot stop coins, thus coins may not be discharged evenly. In an extreme case where all coin stoppers are held in the retracted position, coins cannot be discharged. In addition, in the third conventional technology, the diameter regulating lever pushes coins against the boundary peripheral portion so as to limit one coin in a diameter direction. In other words, when an upper coin of overlapping coins is pushed by the diameter regulating lever, the coin is not supported by the boundary peripheral portion and thus drops down. Thereby, one coins is separated. When the rotating disk is rotated reversely in order to fix a coin jam and the like, however, a contact location of a coin forms an acute angle relative to the supporting shaft of the diameter regulating lever. The coin is thus pinched between the diameter regulating lever and the coin stopper, and the rotating disk cannot be reversed. Thus, the technology cannot be applied immediately. In addition, when the rotating disk is not rotated because a coin is pinched even though a driving voltage is applied to an electric motor for driving the rotating disk, the electric motor may be overheated, thus leading to fire. Thus, it is required to check rotation of the rotating disk when the driving voltage is applied to the electric motor.